Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2008, published 98th ILC session (2009)

Weekly Rest (Industry) Convention, 1921 (No. 14) - Antigua and Barbuda (Ratification: 1983)

Article 2, paragraph 1, read in conjunction with Article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention. Total or partial exceptions. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that no orders have so far been issued under section C24(4) of the Labour Code that empowers the Minister of Labour to authorize permanent or temporary exceptions to the standard weekly rest period whenever he/she “deems it necessary to increase the allowable hours of work”. The Committee also notes that, as indicated by the Government in an earlier report, there are no longer any collective agreements making use of the permissive exceptions from the weekly rest period provided for in section C24(1) of the Labour Code. The Committee recalls that any total or partial exceptions that the Government might wish to authorize in the future, in accordance with Article 4 of the Convention, would need to be in compliance with the conditions set out therein (i.e. account taken of all proper humanitarian and economic considerations and consultations with responsible associations of employers and workers) and therefore recourse to such exceptions should be limited to what is strictly necessary. Noting that the Labour Code is presently under review, the Committee requests the Government to continue to provide all relevant information in this respect, in particular as regards any changes that would affect the manner in which the Convention is implemented in law and practice.

Part V of the report form. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply general information on the application of the Convention in practice, including for instance statistics on the number of workers covered by the relevant legislation, extracts from reports of the labour inspection services showing the number of violations observed and sanctions imposed, etc.

Finally, the Committee takes this opportunity to recall that, based on the conclusions and proposals of the Working Party on Policy regarding the Revision of Standards, the ILO Governing Body has decided that the ratification of up to date Conventions, including the Weekly Rest (Industry) Convention, 1921 (No. 14), and the Weekly Rest (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1957 (No. 106), should be promoted because they continue to respond to current needs (see GB.283/LILS/WP/PRS/1/2, paragraphs 17–18). The Committee accordingly invites the Government to contemplate ratifying Convention No. 106 and to keep the Office informed of any decisions taken or envisaged in this respect.